Toto Wolff does not admit defeat despite Verstappen’s pole position
After a complicated qualifying session for Mercedes, Toto Wolff assures that nothing is decided and that what matters is the result of today's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen has taken pole position for this Abu Dhabi Grand Prix just ahead of Hamilton. However, the Red Bull driver will start on soft tires while the Briton will be on medium tires. Toto Wolff commented on these qualifications that turned out unfavorably for Mercedes, with Hamilton securing second place and Bottas in sixth place.
“They had the tires in the perfect window during the last lap and the slipstream worked perfectly, that’s why they’re on pole position,” explains Toto Wolff to Sky Sports.
Difficult results for Mercedes during the qualifying session, but they will surely motivate Hamilton to go for the win and an eighth world championship title, according to Wolff.
« I think there’s nothing to say. I think he’s going to be angry, and that’s good, and he will be motivated for tomorrow just to chase [Verstappen]. We are behind and sometimes you have to see the positive. Sometimes, it’s not a bad starting point, tells Wolff.
The two contenders for the title are also embarking on two different strategies due to their starting tires. And for the boss of the Mercedes team, starting with the medium compound is much more interesting despite a slight disadvantage compared to the soft tires at the start.
(I) I would much rather start with the medium tires. We will have a slight disadvantage at the beginning, I suppose, and in the first six or seven laps if Verstappen is driving fast.
We can go further. We can also choose an aggressive “undercut” and try to control the position on the track. During the night, we will execute numerous programs and algorithms.
“The one who will be the fastest tomorrow will win the race, no matter who starts with which tire. We just have to rely on that and recover, then hopefully come out as winners tomorrow,” said Toto Wolff.
